1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the management of information handling systems. More specifically, embodiments of the invention provide a system, method, and computer-readable medium for automatically provisioning a virtual image on a target system.
2. Description of the Related Art
As the value and use of information continues to increase, individuals and businesses seek additional ways to process and store information. One option available to users is information handling systems. An information handling system generally processes, compiles, stores, and/or communicates information or data for business, personal, or other purposes thereby allowing users to take advantage of the value of the information. Because technology and information handling needs and requirements vary between different users or applications, information handling systems may also vary regarding what information is handled, how the information is handled, how much information is processed, stored, or communicated, and how quickly and efficiently the information may be processed, stored, or communicated. The variations in information handling systems allow for information handling systems to be general or configured for a specific user or specific use such as financial transaction processing, airline reservations, enterprise data storage, or global communications. In addition, information handling systems may include a variety of hardware and software components that may be configured to process, store, and communicate information and may include one or more computer systems, data storage systems, and networking systems.
In recent years, it has become common for manufacturers to offer purchasers the ability to order a system custom-configured to their specification. These custom-configured systems, which are often ordered on-line, allow the purchaser to select the OS of their choice along with a selection of software and other digital assets to meet their individual needs. In some cases, the manufacturer may preinstall the OS and the selected digital assets on the system prior to delivery. In addition, the system may be further personalized (e.g., desktop themes and colors, etc.) as a service to the customer. Such customizations and personalizations may be limited only by the customer's patience and willingness to define or describe their ideal system.
Some of these same manufacturers also offer standardized configurations of these systems bundled with an operating system (OS) and a selection of software applications, digital content, and associated services. However, the purchaser of such a pre-configured system may wish to use a different OS or bundle of digital assets. As a result, the purchaser generally incurs additional expense and is typically required to de-install the original OS and bundle of digital assets before the different OS can be installed. Furthermore, some OS vendors are known to impose various restrictions on system vendors as to what they can and cannot do. In some cases, these restrictions are intended to protect the OS vendor's brand, the user's out-of-box experience (OOBE), and the ability to be the first to make up-sell or cross-sell offers. Due to these restrictions, system vendors are generally not allowed to alter the initial user experience presented to the customer nor pre-install customer-desired changes, even when that information is available or could be provided by the customer. In view of the foregoing, there is a need for more easily installing a desired OS and an associated bundle of digital assets on a target system while maintaining the user's OOBE.